Dara Samuel Director of Cleburne County Economic Development introduced herself during Greers Ferrys’ March monthly council meeting. Samuel said, “I hear most often in the community is I didn’t know there was an office of Economic Development in Cleburne County, that tourism needs to be revitalized and I needed help and didn’t know where to go”. Samuel was appointed by the newly elected County Judge Jerry Holmes and she told the city leaders her goals to help them are to retain local businesses, help businesses expand and recruit. Samuel said her office was working on a new website and explained her plans to promote the county and the local towns, “We have opportunities in Cleburne County, lakes, rivers, and mountains. We have a quality life and we need to expand our view to include tourism as an industry. We also need to appeal to 79 million Americans who will be retiring over the next 20 years and remember retirees are no longer saving for their children, they are spending their money”.

Samuel said Cleburne County has “Themes of Concern” regarding manufacturing businesses, they are; lack of infrastructure: roads, water, railroad and airports, a lack of broadband services and a qualified workforce. Samuel concluded telling the leaders she looked forward to developing relationships between her office and local businesses, with the county and city leaders of Greers Ferry and would be back.

In other business Greers Ferry Annual Clean-up is scheduled for Monday, April 15 and will end Friday, April 26. Within those two weeks the Street Department will have designated pickup points every day of the week. Council members along with Street Superintendent Jackie Finch said they have stream lined the pick-up process and looked forward to helping residents clean-up Greers Ferry.

A flag design contest to represent the town of Greers Ferry will be ready for its debut. One flag will fly at city hall and the other at Greers Ferry Park. The contest was won by Emily Akers from West Side Elementary School. The ceremony will be held next Saturday April 6 at 1 p.m. More from the Greers Ferry Council meeting in an upcoming issue of The Sun-Times.